CRN.Info and Analysis

From here:

You have me heard talk here at Christian Research Net about how apostatizing $evangelicalism$ is now passing your youth through the fire of Molech.

Lets just stop pretending we’re dealing with serious people here. Unless we’re talking about youth ministers literally burning children alive this is just hysteria. It reminds me of politically minded people who refer to their opponents as Hitler or Nazis because of some decidedly non-genocidal position they’ve taken. Even if the details of the charge are correct, the massive amounts of what would be hyperbole if they weren’t so earnest shows them to be so irrational they have almost no connection with reality on the subjects they write and talk about.

I am appalled about this blog. Here is a critic going after external things that Jesus simply doesn’t care about. He shows pictures of these pastors and then tears them a new one for the way they look, they way they talk, the sermon topics, their age, their muscles, their tan, etc.

Some scripture here:

1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

1 Samuel 16:6-13

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down ^[a] until he arrives.”

12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Notice that the scripture says that David was actually quite good looking.

I don’t know what else to say. The blog speaks for itself.

It seems that the new tactic of the watchdoggies is to claim that all purpose-driven/emerging/emergent/ Harry Potter churches are simply clones of one another. That there really isn’t anything new going on with this new movement, and most of the people involved can’t think for themselves or are simply little worker bees doing as told. I find it funny coming from the people who are calling for all communities of faith to have pews, hymns, three piece suits and an institutionalized methods of church. And the emerging church is the cloned one?

There was recently a checklist published entitled “How to Make a Relevant Pastor Blog.” It was designed to show how all relevant pastors today really are just drones. 10 out of the 13 points listed were superficial, dealing with music, photos and the language people use. I often wonder why these leaders feel it necessary to cut down people in ministry for simple aesthetics or the things they enjoy in life.

Sometimes I think it is out of fear. Fear that they are quickly loosing touch with this generation, and watching their communities die. Fear from not understanding an ever changing would in which they now find themselves. Fear that their way of doing things is slowly being replaced with other methods (and I say that with all sincerity, sympathy and sadness). I can understand why many of these writers would respond out of fear like this. But, I guess if you can’t beat them, then just make fun of their clothes

Check out this minister’s blog entry in which he details some reasons for wanting to get a bit healthier. The last reason especially:

I want to be able to kick the crap out of other pastors….if I felt the need too. - Before giving my life to Christ, I liked to drink AND fight. With my mouth, I was somehow in a lot of situations that required me fighting. It has been a while, but I think I could throw down if I had too but I need to have the energy in case the dude is ripped up like Steven or Perry. That probably seems like a crazy reason but it motivates me.

Now, do you get the idea that this was written in either anger or seriousness? I don’t get that idea at all. You know what tipped me off at first? THE TWO FRICKIN’ SMILEY FACES!!!! Of course there’s also the rest of the post in which he jokes about his wife being buffer than he is, his desire to get tatted up, a (out of context) verse about taking care of our bodies, and having energy to play with his kids. Does any of that sound angry? Absolutely not.

So, here’s a question for you. If you have the inability to understand what someone is communicating when that someone lives in the same time as you, lives in the same country as you and speaks the same native tongue as you, what makes us think they can possibly interpret the scriptures which were written by men living thousands of years ago, in a totally alien culture speaking completely different languages?

It may be we’ve been approaching this from the wrong angle. Instead of pointing out the deficiencies of their arguments we should be urging them to go to some sort of socialization therapy that will train them to pick up on clues as to the mindset of the speaker or writer. Perhaps, this isn’t a problem of intellectual differences, but one of social skills.

What’s up with pews? Does it matter what we sit in on a Sunday morning? Can I be at church and sit in a bar stool, movie theatre seat, cushy chair, sofa, etc? Does it matter what the material is, whether it’s wood, cloth, or plastic?

According to Wikipedia, the pew wasn’t even invented until the Protestant Reformation and the rise of the sermon.

Jesus and his disciples never sat in pews. However, since some think that uncomfortableness equals godliness and the human body is a bad thing, it seems that this becomes a way of self punishment. Do critics actually think they are more holy because they have sore backs and sore bums? Are they less holy if they have padded pews? And where is this in scripture, that sitting on hard wooden benches is a requirement in being a member of God’s army? Is it ok to sit on the ground?

Too many questions and so little answers.

Erwin McManus’ latest book Soul Cravings has been receiving a lot of heat at CRN in some recent posts.  The writer at 9 Marks Review took offense with this quote from the book.

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within us….It seems what he is implying is that we have a better chance of finding God in the universe within us than in the one that surrounds us. And it is on this path that I invited you to walk with me. I invite you to engage in an exploration of the human spirit, to journey deep inside yourself and search out the mystery of the universe that exists with you…

He had this to say

The problem is, it’s patently untrue that all human beings are all really seeking God, as you put it. Mr. McManus, please, find me one verse in the entire Bible—just one!—that says human beings in the flesh are seeking God.

The problem with this is Mr. McManus never said “that all human beings are all really seeking God” within the quote.  In fact, in the podcast that the author refers to earlier in this letter, Erwin talks about how many people are seeking after other elements to satisfy their soul cravings.  The basic premise of the book is not that all humans are seeking God.  The premise of the book is that God has placed within human beings certain cravings that can only be satisfied by Him.

This reveals a huge problem in much of the finger pointing and hostile rumors that run all over the internet.  If we have a preconceived notion about what an emergent or purpose-driven or fundy believes, then we can add to and twist a person’s writing to fit that notion.  It’s something we all need to be careful with, especially when you have placed yourself in a position of influence.  After reading an article by Alex S. Leung citing this letter, one commenter wrote

I love it when you bring up these types of topics for me to think over and learn how to pick out heresy when I see it… Excellent. Keep this kind of stuff up.

I wonder how many people are now walking around thinking Erwin McManus is a heretic due to one man’s bad exegesis of his work.